[Drama Review] 'Scarlet Heart: Ryeo' - Episode 11

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SCARLET HEART: RYEO -- EPISODE 11

"This is no time for leapfrog!"

The 4th Prince dying? Hae Soo tortured and sentenced to death for regicide? Say it ain't so!

Prince So is a man at war with his emotions. He lets her down when he visits her in her cell, telling her he wasn't the kind of man to drink poison just for a silly girl. He comes to her defense, though, when it comes time for her to be executed. It's almost as if the man is bipolar. He really turns the stereotype of the dashing hero on its ear! 4th Prince So may be good with a sword, but he's terrible at love.

Lady Oh's death could have been handled better, IMHO. I didn't shed tears here, but I can't quite put my finger on why. It might well be because she sacrificed herself willingly, or that she was already terminally ill and a quick death would be a release from the slow, miserable death of stomach cancer. But it also brings up the question of whether or not the death was worthwhile in the first place.

New job description: royal umbrella

Which brings me to my whole problem with the concept of justice in this episode. Hae Soo was to be put to death for regicide because she poured the poisoned tea. Not that she actually did it intentionally, but just that she did it at all. Even at court, they were arguing this was done for political expediency rather than for any of the right reasons. And because there's no proof, the real culprit goes free. That lost them a lot of respect in my eyes.

Dark episode, with nary a Prince Eun to be found. That was a good move, in my eyes. They had a story to tell with plenty of gravitas, and it would have ill served the mood to have another scene with Eun struggling with married life. This was Hae Soo's hour, along with Wook and So. Woo Hee was absent as well. Despite my misgivings about the situation, I can't say the writers were unfocused for even a second.

"Okay, stop me if you've heard this one: A gisaeng and a prince walk into a bar..."

I'm disappointed with Wook. Badly. The man is a coward. Not coming to the defense of the woman he professes to love is bad enough. But to not turn in the real perpetrator just doubles his crime. I know that there had to be a reason to make him a second lead, but I was hoping it wouldn't be a character flaw on his part. That made me sad. I liked the 8th Prince.

We're a little more than halfway into the series. If I had a tiny problem with pacing the last couple episodes, this one was truly gripping. I have no choice but to swipe right on this installment. Nice job.